


Of Swords & Of A Gun

by Liyada



Category: Pocket Monsters SPECIAL | Pokemon Adventures
Genre: Bede and Soudo can be see as either romantic or platonic, Gen, I just went apeshit on a Tumblr prompt and did that, I'm giving the boys issues, M/M, Morally Grey Characters, No beta we die like a french girl who wrote that at 3AM half-conscious, Soudo's Birthday 2020!, Sword & Gun AU, Two Shot
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-01
Updated: 2020-12-01
Packaged: 2021-03-10 03:54:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,209
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27827866
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Liyada/pseuds/Liyada
Summary: In a world where everyone has a Sword, Bede is an abnormality who has a Gun.In a world where the Tsurugi family is the best blacksmith clan of Galar, Soudo fails to meet people's expectations.In a world where they have to fight and find their places, will the two of them discover why they exist? Maybe the answer had been in front of their eyes since the beginning.oOoTwo-Shot for Soudo's Birthday!This is a Sword & Gun AU, inspired by a prompt on Tumblr.
Relationships: Beet | Bede & Hop & Schieldemillia Tate, Beet | Bede & Soudo Tsurugi, Beet | Bede/Soudo Tsurugi, Hop/Schieldemillia Tate, Schieldemillia Tate & Soudo Tsurugi
Kudos: 9





	Of Swords & Of A Gun

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone!
> 
> Happy Birthday Sou! Well, it's nearly not his birthday anymore in my timezone but hey, it's still his birthday for some.
> 
> I found this prompt on Tumblr a while ago and started writing on it. I had to stop because of some exams, and when I came back on it, I realized Soudo's birthday was pretty close and that it would be great to post this on his birthday. Unfortunately, I did not had enough time to finish the whole OS so I decided to transform it into a Two-Shot. I hope you'll enjoy it!

All humans have a Sword they were born with.

This was one of the unchangeable laws of the world, as true as the water is wet, or that one plus one equal two.

Every time someone is born, a simple, plain Sword would appear on their side. Was this a magical phenomenon, or a scientific and rational occurrence nobody had found an explanation of yet? Nobody knew. But the fact was there when you were born a Sword would appear, link to you. And as you grew older, the plain tiny sword would become bigger, more detailed, more powerful, reflecting your personalities, your ideals, your soul.

The Swords were the norm. They were everywhere. Showing your Sword, taking it to the best blacksmiths to take care of, battling with it, were as common as a handshake. Nobody could imagine what a world without the Swords could be, or even not having a Sword to begin with.

As Bede looked at the black Gun in his hand, he wondered if it was the reason he always ended alone.

Parents who let him at the door of an orphanage, at an age where he could not even remember the sound of their voices. Caretakers who put him aside, never having the time, nothing else than a fleeting cold presence in his life. Children who worshipped the Swords, compared theirs are each opportunity, which one was the more detailed, the bigger, the stronger?

Nobody would give a look to his cold Gun he wore on his side.

(“Stop mocking us, where’s your Sword? It can’t be this toy!” “But this is my Sword!” “Stop bothering us with that shit, and don’t speak to us until you bring your real Sword!” “But…”

Bede never spoke to them again.)

Once he understood his Sword was not like anybody else, he sneaked in the library again and again, until he found an answer in the books for the older children. It was not a Sword he was owning, but a Gun. A cold Gun that should shoot bullets, except that he did not have bullets, and in his hands, the Gun was nothing else than a cold dead weight.

He did not have a Sword, he had a Gun, and this was making him an abnormality, someone who was weird, too weird to be of good company. Nobody ever heard of someone with a Gun before. And he, who did have a shotgun instead of a blade, was never meant to exist.

That day, he understood the Gun was making him different from everyone else.

After that, he continued to live his life as an abnormality, someone who should not exist in the first place and therefore should not be speak to. But was it really a life? Without anyone to speak with, without a goal to follow, was he really living, or just surviving? What was the point of those dull days that repeat itself again and again?

Until the day he was proved wrong.

A respectable man and his assistant lady were visiting the orphanage. Everybody had been speaking of this visit weeks and weeks prior, and even Bede, who did only follow it from afar, could not ignore this incoming event. Rose and Oleana, that were the names of those important people. Every child was trying to be the best, good enough to be noticed by this man and maybe, finally leave this place. He knew this Rose man eyes would go through him, like did everyone else, but still, he did like the others, and put his better clothes, and instead of a Sword, he put his Gun on his belt.

This day should have been like every other day, with eyes passing through him, except that it wasn’t. As he looked at all the orphans, proudly aligned in front of him, Rose’s eyes stopped on Bede, and the man put his knee on the ground, looking straight into his eyes. Bede blinked, someone was looking at him and he was not anybody, he was an important man, why was he smiling to him? Why was he putting himself at his height? What was going on?

The Chairman put his large hand in his Gun, and he asked:

“Is this Gun yours? Is this your version of a Sword?”

“Yes?” Bede shrugged. “

“Listen, boy, I came here because I need someone to do a certain job, and you look like the perfect person for it. Would you like to work for me?”

Bede’s eyes widened. Did his man… gave him attention… because of his Gun? Was this man actually looking at him, giving him attention? All because of his Gun?

“Yes, sir.”

That day, Bede learned the Gun was making him not only someone different but someone special.

* * *

In a world where Swords existed, there had to be blacksmiths to take care of them.

And this was the role of the Tsurugi family.

The best among the best, people would say. Their name was known all around Galar, and even in other regions. Their unnatural ability to know everything about a sword by looking at it, or their almost magical talent to take care of damaged Swords had formed their fame. Whatever Sword will be put into their care would come back sharper, stronger, the decorations and engraving more radiant than ever.

And the Swords they owned, oh the Tsurugi’s Swords… Nobody could detach their eyes out of their Swords once they saw it. The blades were thinner than a piece of paper, yet their sharp edge could easily cut paper, wood, and rock alike. The precious stones encrusted on the pommels and the grips caught light and viewers' eyes alike, the colorful reflection hypnotizing anyone who would dare to look at it. And the carvings and engravings, only in the more noble matters, were true pieces of art. The delicacy of the curves hid stories full of legends and royalty, even studied by historians to learn more about the past of Galar.

The Tsurugi family was gathering all the qualities ask to a Sword, strength, sharpness, elegancy. Both the family and their Swords were known to be perfect, not that they would accept anything lesser. This was Soudo’s family.

He was the current and unique heir of the family, destined to take the lead of the family at his predecessor’s death.

And he was also their biggest disappointment.

Soudo’s Sword was not strong or sharp or elegant, neither had elegant decorations or old legends to tell. No, his Sword had barely changed since he came to the world, only getting slightly larger and longer as he grew up. The blade was large, raw and the edge everything but sharp. The wrist was not different, black, and devoid of any carvings. And, even worst, as he grew older, cracks appeared all over the blades, rendering it completely useless.

His Sword was all the contrary to what was expected from him, the next head of the family. His grandfather's eyes only reflected disdain as he looked at the Sword before leaving, telling him to work more, to get a Sword worth their family, quickly. Like if he had not tried. Like if he had not spent hours and hours in their family library, reading every book on the topic. Like if he had not spent days and days in the forge, hammering the blade, sanding it, oiling it every day. But no matter how many days he spent studying, or how many months he lost himself in hammer blows, the only change on his Sword was the new cracks appearing always faster than the last one.

Slowly, he gave up. No matter how hard he worked, he would never meet his family or other people's expectations. He should never have been the Tsurugi heir, he was dishonoring their name more than anything else. So he decided to stop trying, to stop working on his and other people’s Swords, to stop feeling the bitter taste of envy and bitterness every time he would saw a sharper, thinner, more delicate Sword.

He knew nothing else than forging and taking care of Swords, so he decided to turn on something similar, and started to take care of Pokémons’ weapons. They were like the Swords, after all, a part of their very being, and something they needed for their life, for battling. But unlike humans, Pokémons were not expecting him to reach an impossible goal, and the joy a polished weapon brought on their face made Soudo smile, not similar to the one he had lost long ago but still, a smile.

He found out that smiling was better than being sad, and that people are kinder when you smile, so he forced himself to, no matter what, and before he realized it had become his trademark.

And the days passed and passed, the life becoming duller and duller as he closed his eyes and let the smile froze on his face, becoming something glued to him, something he could not get rid of no matter how hard he tried. Sure, Pokémon’s happiness with their weapons brought a little light in his life, but for how long? How long before they start looking at him with the same eyes as his grandfather.

Then, one day, as he was drowning in this sickening dark sea, a faint glint of hope appeared.

Some special customers had come to their manor, their Swords being in the care of his grandfather himself. Soudo knew the patriarch only worked on Swords of the most prestigious and noble families, the only ones worth his talent and know-how. Normally, the younger boy never had the occasion to exchange with those special customers. He was the disappointment, after all, the plain and dull Sword his grandfather preferred to hide from the eyes of the society.

But as he was in the forge, taking care of his Sirfetch’d’s lance, the twins had approached him.

They were tall, their skins and hair terribly pale, like if they had never faced sun in their whole life, both awfully looking like each other, and had disastrous choices of hairstyle and clothes. People from the high aristocracy, without a doubt. Maybe even affiliated to the royal family.

The duo stared at him during long, too long minutes, as he was polishing the lance. He never had visitors in his part of the forge before, except obviously for his grandfather and his Sirfetch’d, so two strangers staring at him as he was working was… upsetting? How was he supposed to qualify the little cold in his stomach, or how he was suddenly aware of every one of his moves? He did not know. So he smiled and tried to ignore their presence because what else was he supposed to do? Greet them? Asked them if they wanted something to drink or eat? The domestics probably already did.

As the boy started to feel awkward and pondered if he should leave, the man with the hair so high it nearly touched the ceiling finally talk:

“Mah, what do we have here? Such a plain Sword, I daresay.”

Soudo’s smile did not drop. He knew full well how his Sword looked like, and with the weapon resting against the wall at everybody’s view, there was no use to lie. Sirfetch’d gave him a strange look and he did not know how to interpret it, why was his Pokémon so agitated by this statement?

“Good afternoon, sirs” Soudo bowed, his hand on Sirfetch’d head.

“One would say this Sword is not worthy the mighty Tsurugi’s house. Am I right, dear Sordward?”

“Perfectly right, dear Schieldbert.”

“Do you need the forge?” Soudo enquired. “I can leave if it is your desire.”

“No one said you should leave, dear Soudo,” The one he assumed to be Schielbert said.

“Actually, we were looking to exchange with you” His brother added with a nod.

The blacksmith blinked. They… Wanted to speak with him? Why would they? If they needed repairs on their Swords, his grandfather would take care of it. He had not officially been presented to the society yet, so the social network development was to exclude too. Neither could have them hear about his work on Pokémons’ weapons, for the time being, he had only worked with his Sirfetch’d and his domestic's creatures.

So why were they willing to speak with him specifically?

And why was it bothering him so much?

“You see, due to our position, we have access to innumerous secrets, notably for people like you who do not have a Sword worthy their rank, I daresay” Sordward explained. “And we would be willing to help you with your… problem, dear Soudo.”

“But of course, our help does not come free. Before we can help you, we would need for you to execute one work for us, something of the higher matter.”

Soudo should probably have felt something as he heard the twin. Hope, sadness, suspicions, everything except that numbness in his chest.

(Later, he will see Schilly have the same numb and empty look as she realized her Pokémons are gone, and the Professor Magnolia would tell him it was shock, and he would wonder if it was what he felt back then).

With his head strangely free of all thoughts, he opened his eyes and answered:

“I’m listening.”

* * *

“Hit harder, even a child could do better”

“Yes Ma’am!”

“Be more precise, dammit! What is the use if you miss your target by five meters?!”

“Yes Ma’am!”

“What’s with this defense? And your Pokémon’s too slow! One more time!”

“Yes Ma’am!”

Bede wiped the sweat on his forehead. Even in this cold morning of November, with only a light training outfit on him, his body was burning. His Hatenna, his first partner that Rose gave directly to him, was not in a better shape, panting and nearly fainting on the ground. But she was not down yet, and neither was he. Good. He had no intention to lost, neither against that rude inspector Oleana’s hired nor against any of the Gym Challengers.

He had less than a year left to train before enrolling for the Gym Challenge. The next Champion Cup would take place at the beginning of July, and the Challengers Investiture will happen on the first day of September. He had until the inscriptions in August to equal the Chairman’s expectations, and he had no intention to let him down.

Because the Chairman was the first one to see his Gun, to see him, to see how special he was.

And because he had this Gun on his side, because he was special, he could not allow himself to lose, because he was better than anybody else, because he was the one Rose noticed out of all the children at the orphanage.

(Little did he knew the man did not even remember his name.)

“Hatenna, Disarming Voice!”

He had reacted faster than his inspector had expected him to because he took the Raichu by surprise and send it flying to the nearer tree. The woman eyes widen, amazed by the move, before she crossed her arms and smirked:

“Looks like you start to have some repartee, boy, but don’t claim victory too quickly. Raichu, Surf!”

Hatenna was blown away by the wave and landed on Bede’s feet, the succeeded fights and the loss of HP making her dizzy. He kneeled, his hand already grabbing a Super Potion. As he was healing the Psychic Pokémon, the military boots of his instructor obscured his vision.

“Looks like we’re starting to get somewhere, kid!” He raised his eyes only to meet her usual arrogant smirk. “We can call it a day, go do whatever boys your age do, we’ll work on that move again tomorrow.”

“No…”

“No what?”

“We still have thirty minutes left before my next lesson” His eyes locked in hers. “I wanna train more.”

“Oooh, I like it! Don’t cry when I’ll be done with you, ok boy?”

“Yes Ma’am!”

He got up.

* * *

The Slumbering Weald matched in all points what one would think of a forest from a fairytale, one that had barely been touch by human hands, and where you could only see the dark silhouettes of the trees through the thick fog. A witch could have appeared from nowhere, and Soudo would not even have been surprised.

This wild atmosphere, where trees, grasses, and Pokémons rule, made the presence of the rock road, the arch, and the shrine only more stunning.

Yet, the whole scene was giving Soudo a feeling of solemnity. This place had been important, was still, witness of time and guardian of the legends. In the past, people probably worshipped this place, holding ceremonies and giving offerings, before the forest was close, without a doubt to protect the shrine and its artifacts, the Sword and the Shield that supposedly belonged to the heroes of Galar.

The Sword and the Shield Soudo was about to claim.

Well… Claiming was probably not the right word here. He was just going to take them with him until he handed them to Sordward and Shieldbert. The twins being his employers, they were the ones claiming it, right? He just had to take the Sword and the Shield and deliver them. It will be quick and will do no harm.

So, what was this feeling of unease at the idea to even touch it?

The two illusions had disappeared, the fog, although not totally gone, was thinner, and the strange girl beside him was unconscious. This was the perfect opportunity to take the artifacts, it was why he had come here in the first place. It was why he left his forge and bothered to come all the way to this lost country town.

He inspired deeply, trying to lighten the weight on his chest. There was no doubt to have, nobody will miss an old Sword and a Shield left to rot in a forest, and the twins will take great care of it. And the price, the promise to finally have a Sword worthy of his family, was worth the act.

The sound of his feet resonated all around him as he climbed the steps. The wild Pokémons, so lively a few minutes ago, had now shut up as to condemn the blasphemy he was about to commit. A ray of sun crossed the fog and land on the two artifacts, nearly blinding him. Even after all those decades and centuries, they were still shining. They were not legends for nothing, and there was no doubt they were made of the best materials.

They were at his feet now. If he could take them, he would not have to live as the deception anymore, he just had to bring his hand closer, a little bit closer, and he will finally…

As soon that his fingers brushed the legendary Sword, the calm broke.

The rare rays of sun disappeared, dark clouds invaded the sky, and the wind rose, rose until he could not stay anymore on his two feet and had to kneel. He had experienced enough storm in his life to recognize one, but this sudden outburst was in no way natural. Something was willing to stop him, and he could do nothing against it, only close his eyes and wait for it to end.

His only point of reference were his ears now, and even with that, it was hard to discern anything between the Pokémons’ yell and the trees’ branches rustling. Between all this mess, he thought hearing the familiar “Clang” of metal hitting the ground and a “Splash” like when he threw a stone in his garden pound.

From lacerations against his skin, the gust of wind became softer, until it was nothing more than a pleasant breeze. As soon that the atmosphere around him calmed down, he opened his eyes to see the extent of the damages. His breath was cut as he looked at the shrine. At the paving stone. At the spot where once rested the Sword and the Shield. Once, because wherever he could look around, they were gone, vanishing without a trace. His head frantically turned around, trying to locate them. The instinct telling him they were gone was surely wrong, the wind probably just took them away, right?

And as he looked around, his eyes ended on the river and his heart missed a beat. Not because he had seen the two artifacts, but because of the objects floating and being taking away by the courant. Objects that looked way too much like Pokéballs. He knew for a fact it was not his Farfetch’d, who was lying on the ground near him. Which meant those Pokéballs…

Those Pokéballs were Schilly’s.

Her precious friends and companions were being washed away by the water.

Of course. With the illusions, she did not have the time to put all her balls back in her bag, and it should have fallen on the ground when she lost consciousness. And round form, with violents gust of wind… Of course, it could only end badly. Without thinking, he started to run after them, but it took him only a few meters to realize it was too late. The courant was too strong, and he was not fast enough, and he had already lost sight of the Pokéballs. There was nothing more he could do, only wake up the strange girl and announce to her the bad news.

But he could not tell her the trust. Not tell her that it was his fault that her Pokémons were gone, even indirectly. He had to let her notice the missing balls by herself, which she did in only a few seconds, checking on her partners as soon that she woke up.

As he did earlier, she frantically looked all around her, looking for the red and white balls, but they were already far away. When she realized they were nowhere to be seen, the time slowed down as the hurry in her face became fear, her features reflecting only despair. And even if he saw her panic grew, he had not been prepared for her to break in tear into his arms.

He knew she would take it badly, watching her fighting had been enough to see how close of them she was, but he had not thought it would be to that extend.

“They… They were probably washed away by the river” Soudo said, and he wondered if she could hear the truth in his voice.

“But… The river… The source’s here, but after it goes in dozens of different ways!” Her sobs increased. “And the courant is like super strong! They can be anywhere!”

“That’s why we should leave now and start looking for them, right?” He answered, staring at the river to avoid looking at her wet face.

“Ye… Yes…”

She wiped her tears with the back of her hand and released his arm to go into the forest, following the bank, looking for the Pokéballs in desperate hope. He stayed behind a few minutes, not sure of what to do now that the Sword and the Shield had disappeared. They could literally be everywhere, as they had more than likely been teleported away, and he had no clue or tail to know where they were. All his hard work had been reduced in crumbs, and in the process, he had caused the loss of the Pokémons of an innocent girl.

He should repair his wrongdoings and help her, but on the other hand, he still had this job to accomplish for Sordward and Shielbert… Soudo sighed as he took his bag off and get his Sword out of it. Was his Sword worth those actions? Will he really going to fix it this way?

Suddenly, he stopped, his hand on the wrist, and his eyes wide open. After so many months spent working on it, he knew his Sword like the back of his hand, and he knew for sure the bump under his thumb had never been here before. Was it a new crack? But they were only on the blade before…

He brought the guard closer to his eyes and his heart missed a beat. The black wrist was not crack or break. Instead, elegant gold strokes drew a scene, with Pokéballs floating on a river and a boy recomforting a girl. Shilly. Her Pokémons. Himself.

Unbelievable! What he had been running after his whole life had finally manifest itself at the worst moment. For the first time in his life, his Sword had not shattered in a new crack but had got a carving, and from a tragedy, nonetheless. He would have laughed at it if he had not been unable to take his eyes off the wrist. Why? Why now? Why this scene? Why…

“Soudo! What are you doing?!”

Schilly’s yell took him off his contemplation, and he instantly put the shameful Sword back in his bag. Thousands of thoughts were popping in his head, but one was more prominent than any other.

_Decorations appeared on my Sword after this girl lost her Pokémons…_

“I’m coming!”

_… So maybe I should tag along with her for the time being._


End file.
